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Am I too on the nose here? Pretty much any time seems like a good time to reflect on the founding of the United States of America, but boy howdy, does this current time we're in seem like a specifically good time to do so. The musical "1776" is a not-quite-historically-correct dramatization of the drafting and ratification of the Declaration of Independence. It focuses on John Adams as the instigator, the leader who pushes a reluctant Continental Congress toward making a historic decision.

This is a show focused nearly-exclusively on men so it was fascinating and unexpected when Debra Clinton directed the 2016 Virginia Repertory Theatre production of the musical. Deb is an exceptional director (and actor and original show developer) and has some great insight into her experience of herding an oversized cast of alpha males toward a single artistic goal.

As always, please check out my website, ChasingPhantom.net, for video clips and more information related to "1776." This will be particularly useful if you want a push to consider watching (or rewatching) the movie version of this musical. Please reach out to me at [email protected] with suggestions, questions or feedback of any kind. Also, not that it will impact much of anything, this podcast stands with Ukraine.

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Nope - I am definitely NOT making any kind of political statement by doing an episode on "Cabaret" at this specific moment. Nope, not at all. My delightful conversation with actor and director Doug Schneider steers clear of any chatter about what's happening in politics in America right now. But, that said, this is certainly a good show to revisit if you want a dramatic window into the insidious effects of the rise of right-wing political power.

Doug played Herr Schultz in two different productions and yet never got to sing his favorite song from the show, Meeskite. We talk about that and the fact that the so-called B Plot of the love story between Schultz and Frau Schneider, excised from the movie, is really the heart of the story.

Doug also offers a story about where the song "Maybe This Time" came from (added to the movie, not in the original show). Since recording the episode, I've found out that the song was originally written for a musical called "Golden Gate" that was never produced. 

I will talk about "Cabaret" again in the future because the 1998 revival ran even longer than the original. So this is just the beginning of the conversation about this fascinating show. 

Be sure and check out ChasingPhantom.net for more Fun Facts related to this show and relevant video clips.

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Valentine's Day has been commercialized to such an outrageous degree, pushing models of hetero-normative romantic commitment so hard that any other kind of love can end up seeming marginal or even invisible. That's one of the reasons why "Once" is such a fascinating story: a man and a woman fall into a certain kind of love but it's less romantic and more of a beautiful bridge that helps each of them get to a different place in their lives.

Another, more specifically theatrical reason to talk about "Once" is its weird journey from a small, scruffy movie into a bold, joyful and singular stage experience.

Lucky for me, and for you listeners, Nathaniel Shaw has firsthand knowledge of "Once" on Broadway thanks to his work with choreographer Steven Hoggett on the show. Nathaniel also staged an amazing production of "Once" himself back in 2019. He brings his insight and perspective on the show, plus an ornery take on the state of the American musical, to bear in our expansive conversation, all in smooth dulcet tones that will practically melt your eardrums.

As always, please check out ChasingPhantom.net for more information and video clips of the show - this is definitely the kind of show where you want to see the movement and the energy. Reach out at any time with comments, complaints or just to say 'hi' to [email protected]. 

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When you want to hear about Michael Jackson, it's best to talk to the man himself...or, given the impossibility of that, the man who's playing him. As of New Year's Eve 2024, the actor playing the title role in "MJ: The Musical" on the show's first national tour has been Jordan Markus. Markus worked his way up into the role, starting as an understudy, moving into the alternate role, and then finally hitting the top of the marquee after more than a year with the tour.

Markus lends me some insight into the workings of "MJ: The Musical" and talks about his process for inhabiting such a challenging show. Since this show is relative newcomer to the Broadway scene - it opened in 2022 - it doesn't have some of the rich lore of other long-running hits but I cover the background it does have in my introduction.

If you are a theater snob (like me...) you might write off a production like "MJ" as another one of those "spectacle" shows engineered to keep the tourists entertained on Broadway. Maybe...but it's worth looking at how exactly this show has managed to become so crazily popular so quickly, already approaching the Top 20 as one of the most lucrative shows ever.

More than ever, you are going to want to check out our website, ChasingPhantom.net, that includes more information and, especially, videos related to the show. This is a show that's all about how it looks and how it moves so you're going to want to watch some videos!

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Happy New Year to all! During these cold winter months, there's nothing as cozy as an old-timey murder mystery and "Sleuth" is one of the twisty-est. Helping me navigate the plot -- not to mention the embedded commentary on class, race and misogyny -- is Grace Todd. As a literature doyenne with the fabulously entertaining podcast, Didn't Read It, Grace has a perfectly tuned perspective on what playwright Anthony Shaffer is playing at with this complex, tete-a-tete between two British gentlemen.

Bolstered by a fantastic movie adaptation, "Sleuth" was a supremely popular play, both on Broadway and then in regional theaters the world over. It has been surpassed in the years since by other murdery stage stories, but it's definitely worth a fresh look. The opportunities for two gifted actors to chew the hell out of some scenery are rampant and the double and triple blinds that unfold are satisfying even to the modern viewer already jaded by more modern plot machinations.

Grace and I have a great time pulling apart the various components of "Sleuth" and Grace, always the dutiful reader, shares some insights from her reading of play that will be intriguing to folks like me who have only seen the movie.

As always, please check out my website, ChasingPhantom.net, for more fun facts related to "Sleuth" and video clips of or related to the show. I'll be back in your feed in two weeks!

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Happy Hanukkah! Oh, and Merry Christmas, but to be honest, this is more of a Hanukkah-forward episode, only because "Brighton Breach Memoirs" is very succinctly the story of a Jewish American family, the challenges, foibles and laughs shared amongst the family members as they struggle through tough economic times in the 1940s.

For this episode, the holidays arrived just a little early because I got to reconnect with Jill Bari Steinberg, the amazing actress and wonderful mensh of a human being. JB played Kate Jerome, the matriarch of the Jerome family, in two productions at Virginia Repertory Theatre, first in "Brighton Beach," and then later in "Broadway Bound." Her insight and reflections on the show and its depiction of the Jewish experience are illuminating and the short trip down memory lane was a true treat for me, and I hope for you to listen to.

The result (I think) of my first interview with Jill Bari Steinberg can still be found out there on the Interwebs. And here's the announcement of her being recognized as one of Richmond's Top 40 Under 40.

And, as always, please be sure to check out my website, ChasingPhantom.net, for video clips and other fun background on "Brighton Beach." Happy holidays, everyone! I'll see you in 2025!

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In the first ever bonus episode of Chasing Phantom, Phil Crosby and I talk about the ending of "The King and I," one that was a surprise to me so don't listen if you want it to be a surprise to you! We also get back into some of the history of the real life King of Siam and Anna Leonowens.

This bonus is also an opportunity to drop a couple more sound bites in from the show's score which is a real treat. Happy holidays everyone!

Please check out my website ChasingPhantom.net for more information and fun video clips related to "The King and I." 

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We are hurtling towards the holidays and so, for this episode, I make the case for "The King and I" to be considered among your holiday viewing options. Even though it's a 70+ year show, it's a smart and sophisticated musical with interesting cross-cultural dynamics. And so, of course, I turned to the smart and sophisticated Phil Crosby, most knowledgeable of all humans on the subject of older musicals, to help me explicate and praise this wonderful show.

Phil provides some vital context on Gertrude Lawrence, who originated the role of Anna and who is a Broadway diva largely forgotten or overlooked today. We also give only the briefest recap of the fascinating emergence of Yul Brynner as a star, a former circus performer who first arrived on Broadway at 21 having already lived a remarkable life spending time in Russia, China and Paris.

"The King and I" is the fifth Rogers and Hammerstein collaboration and full of amazing music, gorgeous sets and costumes, and compelling leading characters. Though Deborah Kerr isn't singing in the movie adaptation, she makes for a fine Anna. This isn't a show that gets staged that often any more, but we are lucky that the movie version is pretty remarkable. So go ahead and dial it up during some holiday downtime - you'll be glad you did!

You're definitely going to want to check out my website at ChasingPhantom.net if, for nothing else, YouTube clips of Gertrude Lawrence so you can get a sense of what a dynamic performer she is!

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For this pre-Thanksgiving episode, we hurtle up the list of long-running productions to give everyone something to celebrate and lift our spirits. "Mamma Mia!" may be the longest-running jukebox musical ever to run on Broadway (so far) but it's story transcends that reductive label. As expertly elucidated by Grey Garrett, who won a Best Supporting Actress in a Musical award for her performance as Tanya, this is a show that foregrounds female life experience and friendship in a somewhat revolutionary way for a show created in 1999.

Drawing from the experience of playing Tanya twice, Grey highlights the cycles of life that the show touches on, relates her own experiences of "falling in friend" with cast members, and the vital enjoyment of communal effervescence that the show fosters. In the meantime, I uncross my grumpy old arms and, at least in this one case, learn to love a jukebox musical.

This may not be the only time we talk about "Mamma Mia!" but it's a lively start to the consideration of a show that has broken a crazy number of records and continues to bring joy to "Dancing Queens" across the world.

You'll definitely want to check out my website, ChasingPhantom.net, for links to ABBA-tastic videos associated with this show. As always, please reach out to me at [email protected] if you have cries of complaint or cheers of praise, or anything in between. And go see Mamma Mia! on tour - check out the website for upcoming performances!

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On the week after Veteran's Day, my friend Jesse and I dig into "Mister Roberts," a play about sailors during World War II and humble hero who was an example of (mostly) passive resistance to a petty tyrant. When we recorded this episode, I had no idea how appropriate it would be to air during this week. Don't get me wrong - as a 1940s era comedy, it's not a great show by any means. But still, in these times in particular, it does offer some intriguing ideas about what service and leadership look like.

Jesse and I have a good time comparing and contrasting the play and movie versions of "Mister Roberts" as well as the not-really-surprisingly despicable depiction of women (or really just "woman" in the play). And how in the hell did Jack Lemon get an Oscar for his work in the movie? So many mysteries to talk about when it comes to "Mister Roberts" - we hope you enjoy the ride!

Check out ChasingPhantom.net for more information and YouTube clips related to this show. And hit me up at [email protected] with questions, complaints or suggestions.